Kaua‘i’s Drug Court officially has two clients, who appeared in Fifth Circuit Court about 8 a.m. Tuesday to plead guilty to drug crimes and enter the minimum 12-month, drug treatment-based program. The hearing was the first proceeding in the newly-organized
Kaua‘i’s Drug Court officially has two clients, who appeared in Fifth Circuit Court about 8 a.m. Tuesday to plead guilty to drug crimes and enter the minimum 12-month, drug treatment-based program. The hearing was the first proceeding in the newly-organized drug court program, Kaua‘i being the last office to be set up in the state.
In the courtroom, two men stood side by side with public defender John Calma as staff of the drug court program and other attorneys sat in the front row of the gallery. Both men admitted to the charges, in unrelated cases: They were in possession of crystal methamphetamine or a drug pipe containing the substance. Prosecutor Michael Soong, with deputy Aaron Kakinami, accepted the men’s referrals to drug court. The two men underwent a pre-screening trial the week previous.
The two accepted an offer that will keep them from a lengthy stay in jail. But they have to work at staying out. Testing positive for drugs or alcohol, frequenting establishments that serve alcohol, getting arrested, failing to attend meetings or counseling sessions, fighting or harassing any other client of drug court, or not obeying other rules, could land them in the Kaua‘i Community Correctional Center for a day, weekend, or longer. The exact time frame is at the judge’s discretion.
Drug court is an alternative to traditional criminal prosecution in that non-violent drug offenders are provided with drug treatment instead of incarceration. They are required to attend group and individual counseling sessions and submit to urine analysis screenings for at least 12 months. Successfully completing the program means that the criminal charges are dropped.
The Kaua‘i drug court has space for 20 offenders. To be eligible for the program, defendants must be at least 18; must be charged with or pending arrest for a felony drug offense; have no exhaustive criminal history; and have no prior convictions for sexual or assault offenses. The Kaua‘i drug court will not be accepting clients with severe mental illness in addition to substance addiction.
Referrals can come from a public defender or private attorney, or a defendant can ask to be accepted into the program. The Kaua‘i County Prosecutor’s office must approve a referral to drug court, at which time the person completes a pre-screening period with drug court personnel. Defendants are tested for drugs and surveyed about their drug use. Referrals shall also be made through the Judiciary’s Adult Probation Division, if a person’s probation is revoked for a drug offense.
On Kaua‘i, Fifth Judicial Circuit Judge Clifford L. Nakea is scheduled to hear drug court cases each Tuesday at 8 a.m. in Lihu‘e, before the regular court cases are set.
“Nationwide, drug courts have proven to be cost efficient and effective. In Hawai‘i, treating an adult offender in drug court costs up to $8,000 yearly, while incarceration costs approximately $32,000 per year,” the Judiciary said in a written statement issued Tuesday.
“Each offender in drug court for a year saves the state about $24,000 and frees jail space for more violent offenders. Drug court graduates are also more likely to return to society as productive, law-abiding citizens, thereby reducing the ‘revolving door’ of arrests,” the statement continued.
Alton Amimoto, Kaua‘i drug court coordinator, said Tuesday that he hoped defendants would find success through constant supervision in the drug court program and support systems outside the program.
“The Kaua‘i Drug Court’s mission is to address societal problems relating to substance abuse,” said Nakea in a written statement, “If we can provide these drug offenders proper treatment, we can significantly reduce societal and economic costs and protect our community at the same time.”
Araceli Gonzalez, the program’s substance abuse counselor, said that she will use a method called cognitive restructuring, which looks at a person’s belief systems, actions and thoughts, and challenges a person to make changes in their beliefs so they can make different choices and improve their lives.
The method is also used by the Hina Mauka Recovery Center, which holds a contract with the State of Hawai‘i to provide drug treatment options to the uninsured and underinsured. Hina Mauka, will provide counseling during the days at its offices in Lihu‘e, as well as inpatient treatment, which is offered on O‘ahu. Gonzalez will conduct group sessions with the clients and individual counseling, as required by the program.
The drug court is located at 3059 Umi St., Lihu‘e, on the ground floor of the courthouse. The office may be reached at 246-3368.
Staff Writer Kendyce Manguchei can be reached at kmanguchei@pulitzer.net or 245-3681 (ext. 252).
